Time, Fuel, & Money

In this episode of Time, Fuel, and Money, Deborah, Karim, and Vassili unpack a familiar but deeply human experience: when someone explains something you already know.

The conversation digs into why people slip into this behavior, what it reveals about ego, insecurity, and unmet needs, and how these patterns quietly shape our work, relationships, and decision-making.

Vassili reframes condescending behavior through the lens of resentme...

In this episode of Time, Fuel, and Money, Deborah, Karim, and Vassili connect metabolic fuel to startup finance: why caffeine jitters feel like a sugar crash, and why “mega rounds” can mimic the same boom-and-bust in company building.

We start with Vassili’s energy lens (ketones, mitochondria, and why caffeine can push the body to burn through glucose) and use it as a metaphor for capital: clean vs. dirty fuel, steady state vs. spik...

“Business” is never just business; it’s personal. In this candid episode of Time, Fuel, and Money, Deborah, Karim, and Vassili unpack a week of jarring meetings and broken expectations: why character shows up at the table long before term sheets do, and how to navigate manipulation, power plays, and cultural or generational clashes without losing your center.

Karim shares the gut-punch of realizing your read on someone was off, and ...

In this conversation on Time, Fuel, and Money, Deborah, Karim, and Vassili unpack a deceptively simple tension founders face every day: when does money serve the mission, and when does it start steering it?

What begins as a riff on “money loves speed” turns into a deeper inquiry: Is money a goal or an energy exchange? How do timing and market windows matter without collapsing into hustle-for-hustle’s sake? Vassili argues that money-...

In this deal-focused episode of Time, Fuel, and Money, Deborah, Karim, and Vassili unpack a billion-dollar psychedelic acquisition as a lens on how and when biotech companies are actually acquired.

Starting from major depressive disorder as a proving ground, the trio explores what really moves a program from “interesting” to “acquirable”: lean teams, credible data, and momentum that doesn’t stall. They debate the sweet spot for part...

In this candid roundtable, Deborah, Karim, and Vassili pull back the curtain on the funding maze—where non-dilutive grants, state incentives, and slower VC check-writing collide.

Vassili argues that well-intentioned review systems get “gamed” over time, creating entitlement and weak accountability for outcomes. Karim brings data: an analysis of NIH neurosurgery grants (1993–2017) showing concentration among repeat awardees—and asks ...

In this reflective episode of Time, Fuel, and Money, Deborah, Karim, and Vassili unpack an often overlooked but deeply personal tool in the founder’s journey: the goals list.

Sparked by Deborah’s rediscovery of a 10-year vision sheet with no mention of unicorns or exits, the trio dives into how we imagine the future, how we track it, and whether writing it down helps or hinders. What emerges is a nuanced conversation about planning ...

In this milestone 20th episode of Time, Fuel, and Money, Deborah, Karim, and Vassili tackle the invisible forces that slow us down: bureaucracy, broken communication, and misaligned expectations.

What starts as a conversation about investor-founder dynamics expands into something deeper: how we manage our time, emotional bandwidth, and trust in a system that often feels stacked against momentum.

Karim opens up about the frustration o...

In this episode of Time, Fuel, and Money, we slow down and reflect on what happens between the big events. Coming off two interviews at the BIO International Convention and the Paris Air Show, Deborah, Karim, and Vassili ask a simple but often overlooked question: Who are you beyond your pitch?

The conversation centers on character—not just what you’re building, but why you’re building it, and how you show up in the process. From tr...

We’re back live from the Bullpen “Money Ball” showcase at BIO International 2025 in Boston—and this one dives deep into a quiet crisis in drug development.

Our guest, Chandima Bandara, CEO of Precision Quantomics, is tackling one of the industry’s toughest stats: 90% of drugs fail before reaching patients—and half of those due to toxicity. His company is flipping the script by bringing quantitative proteomics into preclinical workfl...

This week, we’re doing things differently.

In this special episode of Time, Fuel, and Money, we go live from the Bullpen On Deck “Money Ball” showcase at BIO International 2025 in Boston. This isn't just another startup pitch event—it’s a high-trust, high-intensity prep ground where biotech founders get real coaching, real feedback, and real traction before hitting the investor stage.

The “Money Ball” format ...

In this episode of Time, Fuel, and Money, we take a hard look at what we call “talent.” Is it innate? Is it earned? Is it wasted when paired with arrogance or fear? Using Formula 1 as a metaphor, we dive into the subtle—and sometimes not so subtle—differences between natural ability, ego, and the grind. Karim kicks off with thoughts on Max Verstappen’s brilliance and blind spots, while Deborah shares observations from business and ...

In this episode of Time, Fuel, and Money, we pull back the curtain on a question that haunts every founder, investor, and operator in healthcare:

💸 What happens when your mission meets the market—and the market wins?

We explore the emotional weight of watching innovation stall under bloated budgets, misguided incentives, and financial projections that look good on paper but fail in practice. This conversation dives deep into the ten...

In this episode of Time, Fuel, and Money, we explore a question that quietly drives many of our interactions:

 Are you hunting—or being hunted?

We unpack the subtle pressure to perform, network, and “put yourself out there” in business and life, and how it can pull us away from authenticity. Deborah opens the conversation with reflections on relationship-building in a world driven by optics. Vassili dives into the biology of trust, n...

In this episode of Time, Fuel, & Money, what starts as a light-hearted conversation about donuts in New York quickly spirals into a deeper exploration of corruption, cortisol, fashion, fear—and how we lose ourselves in the pursuit of belonging.

Deborah, Vassili, and Karim unpack how stress culture, ego-driven ambition, and performative success can distort our values and lead us astray. Through references to The Devil Wears Prada...

In this deeply reflective episode of Time, Fuel, and Money, Deborah, Karim, and Vassili unpack the invisible forces that shape how we live, lead, and make meaning—energy, alignment, and attention. Sparked by a quote that resonated with Deb during a morning run, the conversation moves from gratitude to groundedness, from burnout to purpose.

They explore how true well-being goes beyond diet and exercise—it's about the people we s...

This week on Time, Fuel, and Money, we pick up where we left off — talking about humiliation, but this time, we go deeper.

From gym fails in ponchos and nervous startup pitches to mirror neurons, co-regulation, and Eminem’s iconic 8 Mile moment, we explore what happens when we own our imperfections instead of hiding them.

💡 Inside this episode:

• Why self-deprecating humor is actually a self-regulation tool
• How humiliation drives ov...

In this reflective and unfiltered episode, we ask: What if money isn’t the only—or best—currency we’ve got?

We explore how fear of failure, isolation, and even humiliation can shape our ambitions more than we realize. From the shadows of capitalism to the Oklahoma Standard, we ask deeper questions about what truly drives us—and what we’ve lost along the way.

🔹 Is money still the primary measure of success?
🔹 What could a new “u...

Is hustle a badge of honor or a mask we wear? In this episode, we dissect the meaning behind “hustle culture” — from its Dutch roots to its modern-day startup glow-up.

Deb, Vassili, and Karim explore the tension between urgency and awareness, the invisible weight of comparison, and whether hustle is a productive force or a coping mechanism disguised as ambition.

Together, we question:

• Can you be fully present and still hustle?
• Is p...